This invention relates to an electrical connection device which is more particularly described as an electrical connector which provides separable connections between coaxial lines and printed wiring board circuits.
Edgeboard connectors designed to provide connections between low frequency signal lines and printed wiring board circuits have been utilized in the past to connect coaxial lines to printed wiring board circuits when signal distortion caused by reflected waves, which are the result of discontinuities or impedance mismatch in a connector, could be tolerated. A way to minimize signal distortion in such a connector is to try to make the termination of a coaxial line within the connector housing an extension of the coaxial line. Several such connectors are described and shown on pages 4-35 to 4-45 of an article by H. E. Henschen et al published in the Proceedings of the Technical Program of the National Electronic Packaging and Production Conference on Apr. 7, 8, 9, 1970. In a connector shown on page 4-39 of the Henschen et al article, three contact spring assemblies are utilized to terminate one coaxial line. One contact spring assembly terminates the center conductor while the other two, located on each side of the center conductor, terminate the shield portion of the coaxial line. Mechanical and electrical connections between the coaxial line and the spring contact assemblies are made by crimping the center conductor and the shield portion of the coaxial line to the spring assemblies. These connections are more or less permanent connections in the sense that the coaxial line cannot be readily detached from the spring assemblies.
When signal distortion is such that an arrangement as the one described above cannot be used to interconnect coaxial lines and printed wiring board circuits, another possible solution is to mount coaxial jacks on a printed wiring board to serve as receptacles for plugs which terminate coaxial lines. Even though the individual coaxial plug-jack combination provides an electrically and mechanically sound, separable connection, such a connection arrangement has several disadvantages. Coaxial jacks, because of their physical construction, generally require a substantial amount of mounting space on a printed wiring board causing an increase in the size of each individual board, and if the jacks are mounted on one of the major surfaces of a board, they generally cause an increase in the spacing between two adjacent boards.
Therefore, it is an object to provide an electrical connector for interconnecting coaxial lines with printed wiring board circuits.
Another object is to provide an electrical connector which extends a coaxial line to the edge of a printed wiring board.
These and other objects are realized in one illustrative embodiment of the invention in which an electrical connector has a housing with an opening, a ground plane, a plurality of coaxial jacks, and first and second pluralities of contact springs, all mounted within the housing. Each jack includes a conductive tubular element connected to the ground plane and a conductive socket which is mounted inside the tubular element. One end of each spring of the first plurality is connected to the ground plane, and one end of each spring of the second plurality is connected to a socket of a different one of the coaxial jacks. Each spring and socket are mechanically connected together in a sense that they are formed from a continuous piece part. The other end of each spring of the first and second plurality extend into the opening.
A feature of the invention is a plurality of coaxial jacks mounted in the connector housing, each jack having a tubular element connected to the ground plane and a socket mounted inside the tubular element.
Another feature of the invention is a first plurality of contact springs connected to the ground plane and extending into the opening.
A further feature is a second plurality of contact springs, each connected to the socket of a different one of the coaxial jacks and each extending into the opening.